


Queen Mary's Gardens

by theMiragePrismatic



Series: Draw a Heart Around the World [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Human!Hetalia, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 01:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8778100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theMiragePrismatic/pseuds/theMiragePrismatic
Summary: Karissa doesn't think that a three month anniversary is much to celebrate - six or twelve months seems more auspicious - but why would she dampen Feliciano's enthusiasm?





	

"This is Regent's Park," Karissa pointed out when the car stopped and she peered out in confusion. Feliciano just smiled, helping her out.

"Don't you like walking?"

"I do like walks," she agreed, accepting his hand, gingerly stepping out of the car to avoid her strapping bronze sandals from catching on the hem of her dress.

It was too beautiful and warm a July afternoon to waste on their three month anniversary. Personally, Karissa thought six-month and year marks were more notable milestones but Feli wanted to celebrate and he was so enthused about it, who was she to turn him down?

She whooped as she went off balance and Feliciano rocked back on his heels, catching her in his arms. "You did that on purpose,"

His tiny smile was bright and mischievous. "Maybe..." he conceded. The car pulled away as he kissed her with caressing gentleness that made her sigh. She shifted her weight back to her feet as he deepened the kiss, her heart starting stutter when they slowly broke apart.

He looked put together as always; sometimes his spiffiness maybe Karissa feel positively scrub-like in comparison. He’d ditched the jacket of his three-piece Gucci suit (him and his damn fancy Italian designers) leaving him in a nice pressed royal blue button-down with star-patterned blue tie, a steel-gray waistcoat and matching pants, polished black leather shoes.

"Walk with me, passerottina?" he asked, offering his arm.

She slid her arm in the crook of his, smiling, the bracelet he’d given her after their third date catching the sunlight. "Of course,"

* * *

The sunlight played through the branches of the London park as the afternoon turned to evening and Karissa slowed to watch them dance, fingers tangled with Feli's. He smiled softly watching the quiet wonder paint a smile across her flush lips.   
  
Her hair was arranged into a style she explained was cornrows which was unique to her people as far as she knew - a series of thin braids trailing back like rows towards the nape of her neck but instead she had let the lower part of her hair out into a large contained afro that fanned out like a halo around her head. She wore a dark burgundy dress with a crossband neck that looped around her neck and exposed her shoulders, a bronze girdle looping around her waist. The loose semi-sheer material fell to her ankles, an upper layer around the thighs and a slit in the front of the dress making it easier to walk.

The royal park was quite beautiful and the path they were on was sparsely populated, their peaceful walk to the restaurant trailing to a casual amble. He loved her peaceful moments best when her sharp edges gave way to the gentle, dreaming Karissa who loved her animals, loved to write and considered tea to be the solution to every problem. Her hands were also warmer than usual, to his relief which meant she wasn’t cold like usual, to his relief.

"Don't we have reservations?" she asked, bringing him out of his musings. "We should - "

"There's no rush," he said reassuringly, keeping his excitement contained. He kissed her hand, loving the way she shyly ducked her head. "What would be the point in walking if we had to rush?"

"Yeah, I see your point. So, what have you been doing all week?" She wondered.

He just winked. "You first, dolcezza,"

She rolled her eyes at the endearment, trying to be annoyed but a smile tugged at her lips. "Well, Michelle and I went London trawling for the photo magazine contest and the shop got a bunch of new books - " She regaled him with tales of her week and her adventures with Michelle and he suppressed a smile, silently thanking her best friend. He knew Karissa had been pouting at his absence though she would rarely admit it aloud, not wanting to be a bother no how much he insisted that she couldn’t be.

They wandered onto a broad and familiar path, Karissa spinning and dancing across the deserted stretch of walkway, taking in the London warmth. Feliciano caught her by the hands, swinging them into a soundless waltz even though she didn’t know how to dance a waltz and she fell into his shoulder, laughing.

“ _Sei così bella, mia amore,”_ he breathed, pressing a kiss her forehead.

She hummed happily. “ _Io sapere. Grazie_. You don’t look too bad yourself, _luce del sol,”_

“Buon,” he said, amused and gratified by her confidence.

“We should really get going…”  
  
He scoffed, swinging her around. “We have all the time in the world, passerottina. I wanted to do something first,”

“Like what?” she looked at him suspiciously as he led her down another path and her suspicion turned to stubborness. “Felice, it’s closed today!”

“I just want to take a quick look, Karissa~” he chimed.

“Well…”

He tugged her coaxingly forward, approaching the tall locked gates.

Queen Mary’s Garden lay in the Inner Circle of Regent’s Park - for some reason it was closed today to her disappointment and she sighed, winding her hands around the bars, peering inside. And then she became aware of a clattering and turned to see her boyfriend nimbly climbing up the smaller gate.  
  
“Felice!”  
  
“Come on, it’s perfect. No one will be around.”

“Feliciano, the goddamn _Queen_ owns Regent’s Park! You’re effectively trespassing on royal property!” She groaned when he dropped down on the other side, brushing himself off as he had simply strolled through the gate.

“We’re not English~”

“Even more reason to not climb over gates! Get back!”

“Don’t you know Prince Harry?”  
  
“Yes, but _I_ am just the tagalong camerawoman; the writer knows him, not me. I do not have pull to get Prince Harry to pull you stupid ass out of - is this a key?” She had scrambled to catch the key he threw, blinking. 

Feliciano just winked and skipped out of sight, leaving her hissing at him to come back, nervous about shouting.

She looked at the fence with trepidation; she did not fancy a trip to Scotland Yard thank you very much, despite her choice in friends.

 _If he ruins this, I can ...get revenge. Somehow_ , she decided, reluctantly using the (likely stolen) key to unlock the small gate, looking as if she had every right to do so. She closed it behind her, sliding the key in her pocket, feeling as if it was going to burn cloth and skin.

Queen Mary’s Garden was like an enchantment and despite the rule breaking of the situation, Karissa found herself relaxing, breathing in the clean air and enjoying the peace of the place in full bloom.

Then she pulled herself together, looking around for her missing Italian.

“Felice,” she hissed, hating that her dress stood out. “Feliciano Callistus, get back here!” She picked her way cautiously across the path, her footsteps not making a sound in her sandals, dark bronze evening bag slung across her shoulders and resting on her opposite hip.

She twitched, hearing the familiar tones of violins playing and was sorely tempted to just abandon his stupid ass then and there before she got caught too.

_He was the one making a big deal about a three-month anniversary._

She would have been fine with a quiet night but he insisted on a restaurant dinner. ‘Wear something nice’. Luckily she fended off a shopping trip, having acquired several nice dresses pre-Feliciano. His taste was not always her taste.

“Felice!” she hissed, taking covered behind a tree as the music grew louder.

“Karissa, over here!”

Karissa cringed at the volume of his voice. _I’m not suppose to hit my boyfriend when I’m frustrated._ she reminded herself, brow furrowing into a scowl. _Technically, it’s abusive and I wouldn’t like to be hit so I will not hit him._

Karissa spied him waving but before she could wave for him to get back here, he went deeper into the garden. She scowled and darted after him. Her heart nearly jumped out of her throat and she had taken a step back before she could stop herself - a guard!

However, he just smiled and tipped his hat.

And her confusion tripled.

 _Is this damn garden closed or not_? She nodded at the guard respectfully and tried to maintain some dignity following the violins, her confusion giving way to suspicion as she made her way to the open field part of the gardens - through an archway of various flowers that most definitely had not been there before - but she hadn’t been to the gardens  in a while so for all she knew they could have added it.

When she heard Feliciano’s little giggle, she turned away from the flower archway with an indignant shout on her lips - and swallowed her words, breath catching, eyes going wide.

The garden was in full bloom in the middle of summer, bright colors mixing with the greenery - reds, yellow, purples and blues….

The greenery had been further laced with faerie lights twisting above and amongst the flowers and around the small saplings, perfectly framed in the light of the setting sun, a collection of wind chimes set up on iron poles, making music when the breeze came through.  
  
A small collection of tables had been set up with a small table for two in the center of it all and a mini _goddamn orchestra_ was playing, partly concealed behind some bushes with a conductor and everything, a small three-person catering staff standing by.

Her eyes trailed across the scene, her whole form quivering with indecision - to collapse or not to collapse? Walk away because ‘goddamnit there are people witnessing my moment of weakness’ or cry?  
  
Feliciano approached her with a broad smile and a bouquet of carnations and red and yellow roses with a dash of pink hydrangeas, adjusting  her numb hands to hold them.  
  
“Do you like it?”

“What? This - “ She flailed wordlessly at the garden with her free hand, twinkling with faerie lights and wind chimes and roses, the sun conspiring to make the whole scene even more beautiful and the fountain playing merrily in the background.

“Is that - is that ‘Two Steps From Hell?’ she demanded, head swiveling to listen more closely.

“Si!”  
  
She descended into a flailing, stuttering mess, hiding her face in the bouquet, swaying on the spot. “How - gods, why are you _real_ ?!” she wailed, flopping into his shoulder, almost giving up on standing.  
  
He crooned soothingly, supporting her and running his fingers through her hair as she recovered muttering: “Sod off, you goddamn unicorn. A bloody unicorn. Stupid Italian, where did you come from? Stop _laughing_ at me!”

“I’m not laughing at you, mi amore,” he assured her, kissing her fingers. “I love your reaction,”

“You’d love it less if I’d left your dumb arse here. I hate you,” she informed him grumpily, even with a smile beginning to make its appearance. 

"Ti amo, Karissa,” he said simply, unable to stop smiling though he couldn’t help giving himself a mental pat on the back. “Can you walk?”  
  
“Bugger off, I should make you carry me, you stupid - !” She shrieked and frantically threw her arm around his neck as he suddenly scooped her off her feet. “You’re as skinny as I am, it’s not _fair_ that you can lift me!”

“Ludwig makes me train all the time,” he reminded her.

The caterers were trying awfully hard not smile and she buried her face in his shoulder. “There are witnesses and I hate you,”

Use to her prickliness and opposite meanings, he just smiled, pleased with himself. “Do you like it?” he asked again as he set her in a chair he pulled out with his foot.

She sighed, setting the flowers down and looked at  him, a smile breaking through against her will. “I love it.” He kissed her then, cupping her heart-shaped face in his hand and she felt it through every nerve ending, his interesting curl brushing her face. As he pulled away, he let his thumb brush against his cheek, able to to just forget about everyone else in the garden.

“If you do this for the three-month mark, I’m likely going to pass out at six or a year,” she mumbled. “Try not to kill me, Felice.”  
  
His smile just broadened. “Of course I won’t kill you. I intend to make you the happiest woman alive.”

“Happiness isn’t a constant state of being,”

“Then I’ll just have to keep making you happy.”

He smiled as pink color bloomed across her cheeks and she frantically ducked in her face into her hands to conceal it, rubbing her face, her smile wide even though she kept trying to contain herself.

He took her hand in his, dragging his thumb across it to relax her and she found herself smiling. “It’s all right, passerottina; right now you don’t have worry about anything.”

It wasn’t like she had feared; that his wealth would just drive a wedge between them but he seemed intent on making her feel like she was apart of his world.


End file.
